Marble game table with peripheral pockets and cushions

ABSTRACT

A base supports a circular playing surface having an upstanding peripheral rim. Pockets or surface apertures and cushions for billiard shots are alternately and equally disposed about the rim. Troughs beneath the playing surface extend from the pockets to a collector. A marble size separator extends toward the peripheral rim from the collector and connects to a pair of discharge chutes each of which extend through a depending portion of the peripheral rim that masks the troughs, collector and separator. The playing surface and marble handling apparatus are supported upon leveling screws secured to the support base. The discharge chutes for the return of marbles which enter the playing surface pockets may be combined with a coin-operated mechanism to require a fee before the marbles are returned to the players.

United States Patent [191 Saliger [4 1 Apr. 15,1975

1 1 MARBLE GAME TABLE WITH PERIPHERAL POCKETS AND CUSHIONS [76]Inventor: Joseph E. Saliger, 16106 Ludlow St., Granada Hills, Calif.91344 [22] Filed: July 16, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 379,390

[52] US. Cl 273/125 R; 273/9; 273/11 C;

273/12 [51] Int. Cl A63d 13/00 [58] Field of Search 273/11 R, 11 C, 118R,

273/118 A, 118 D, 121 R, 121 D, 122 R, 123 R, 124 R, 125 R, 3 A, 7

Primary ExaminerRichard C. Pinkham Assistant ExaminerArnold W. KramerAttorney, Agent, or FirmWm. Jacquet Gribble [57] ABSTRACT A basesupports a circular playing surface having an upstanding peripheral rim.Pockets or surface apertures and cushions for billiard shots arealternately and equally disposed about the rim. Troughs beneath theplaying surface extend from the pockets to a collector. A marble sizeseparator extends toward the peripheral rim from the collector andconnects to a pair of discharge chutes each of which extend through adepending portion of the peripheral rim that masks the troughs,collector and separator. The playing surface and marble handlingapparatus are supported upon leveling screws secured to the supportbase. The discharge chutes for the return of marbles which enter theplaying surface pockets may be combined with a coin-operated mechanismto require a fee before the marbles are returned to the players.

5 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTEDAPR 1 5|975 sum 1 a; g

MARBLE GAME TABLE WITH PERIPHERAL POCKETS AND CUSHIONS BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION 2.621 .931 Kennon 2.943.858 Slater 2.636.740 MacNeal 3.315.960Frigo 2.639.151 Kennon 3.526.404 Wiggins Previous playing surfaces formarble games have included complicated gating apparatus and scoringarrangements which did not necessarily enhance the amusement value ofthe games. An object of the invention is to provide a marble game tablewherein alternating pockets and cushions surround the playing surface toallow a new variation of the traditional game of marbles in that itprovides the players with an opportunity to use their skill in shootingmarbles by utilizing appropriate billiard shots off the cushions at therisk of losing the shooter into the pockets, thus making the game morechallenging for the player. An additional object of the invention is toprovide a marble return system through a collector system of troughssuch that the marbles are returned to a common discharge point forretrieval. The components of the marble game table can be adapted tofine furniture design such that the marble game table is a desirablefurnishing in any room of the house.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention contemplates a marble game tablewhich comprises a base with a playing surface on the base and aperipheral rim about the playing surface. A plurality of spaced billiardcushions are adjacent the playing surface about the rim. A likeplurality of playing surface apertures or pockets are adjacent the rimand a trough from each aperture extends to a central collector. A marbleseparator extends from the collector to a pair of return chutes whichextend through an annular rim portion depending from the playingsurface. Closure means releasably retain the marbles in each of thereturn chutes.

The chutes are preferably arranged such that a coinoperated stop mayintervene in the path of the marbles within the chutes to preclude theirdischarge from the chutes until a fee is paid.

The marble game table of the invention is simple to fabricate and easyto level for playing. It affords a marble game more stimulating andchallenging than normal games utilizing a marble shooter and targetmarbles but requires little physical or mental adjustment for theplayers to utilize the apparatus afforded. These and other advantages ofthe invention are apparent from the following detailed description anddrawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a perspective plan view of amarble game table in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view, partly broken away, of the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional elevational taken along line 3-3 ofFIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional elevation taken along line 44 of FIG.2;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional elevation taken along line 55 of FIG.2 and showing the separator and discharge chutes; and

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional elevation taken along line 66 of FIG.5.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In FIGS. 1 and 2 a cylindricalbase 11, which may be hollow, supports a circular playing surface 12comprised of a solid laminate 13 such as plywood and a cover 14 whichmay be of billiard felt. A shooting ring 16 is marked on the felt andhas a diameter slightly less than the diameter of an upstanding rim l8fixed to the laminate 13.

The rim is fitted into an overlying ring 19 in a groove 20 therein (seeFIG. 4) such that the rim and the ring are substantially unitary. Aplurality of rail segments or cushions 21 are spaced about the peripheryof the playing surface and back against the rim 18. The cushions arepreferably of a resilient material such that marbles impinging upon thembounce back with substantially the same velocity as they arrive at thecushion. Between each of the cushions 21 is a pocket defined by anaperture 23 in the edge of playing surface 12. Preferably thecircumferential extent of the pocket is approximately equal to theextent of a cushion such that the circumference of the playing surfaceis equally divided between pockets and cushions.

Laminate I3 is supported from a base top 24 by a plurality of levelingscrews 25 whose locations are indicated in FIG. 2. The leveling screwsare discussed in detail later with respect to FIG. 4.

As can be seen from FIG. 2, L-shaped troughs extend from each pocketdefined by the playing surface apertures to a central collector 31. Eachtrough has a circumferential leg 32 which is coextensive with theplaying surface aperture to which it is adjacent. From eachcircumferential leg a radial leg 33 extends to the collector 31.

The number of apertures and cushions may vary with a consequent increaseor decrease in the number of troughs required. However, in theillustrative embodiment where a playing surface diameter ofapproximately 4 feet is assumed, a circumferential division into eightpockets and eight cushions is desirable for a challenging marble game.Therefore, there are shown eight troughs each extending from a pocket toa central collector 31.

A separator assembly 35, shown in dotted lines in FIG. 2, extends fromthe collector at approximately the point where the eighth trough wouldintercept the collector. Therefore, trough leg 32A has a second chordleg 37 extending from an end of the leg 32A to adjacent radial leg 33Ashown in dotted lines. The troughs, collector and separator may beintegrally molded from a suitable material, such as polyethyleneplastic, and secured in suitable fashion to either the rim 18 or theunderside of the playing surface laminate 13.

It can be seen that the overlying ring 19 inhibits the inadvertent lossof marbles from the playing surface by overhanging the billiard cushionssuch that careless shots do not escape the table.

The general arrangement of the ring 19 with respect to the cushions orrails 21 is shown in section in FIG. 3 wherein the apertures 23 are seento intervene arcuately between the rails 21 and lie beneath an angularbuffer 38 and above the troughs 32. The overhanging underside 39 of ring19, as stated before, inhibits marbles striking the cushion from leavingthe table.

As can be seen from FIG. 4, the cushions may each comprise a back-uprail 41 of wood or other suitable material surrounded by a resilientcover or coating 42 of a suitable material such as rubber or neoprene.Referring back to FIG. 2, it can be seen that the coating. extends notonly circumferentially but radially at each end of each rail block 41.

To simplify fabrication the playing surface may terminate in acircumferential edge 45 and the apertures be defined by thecircumferential edge 45 and arcuate blocks, such as the blocks 46,underlying each of the rails and defining the ends of the pockets. Anannular block 48 reinforces the outer edge of the playing surface andmay be secured by a recessed screw 49 at several points about itsperiphery to the blocks 46 and the back-up rail blocks 41. The screw mayextend into the ring 19 to unify the structure.

Again referring to FIG. 4, it can be seen that a bolt plurality, such asthe bolt 25, mentioned with respect to FIG. 2 may each be secured in theannular block 48 between a bolt head 54 and a nut 55 and extend into anaperture 56 in the bearing top of the base 24 to lo-' cate the playingsurface with respect to the base. Leveling may be achieved by a stop nut57 adjustable along the bolt to regulate the extent of the bolt andtherefore the playing surface height above the bearing top 24. Acosmetic cylindrical surround 61 is suitably secured to the base top 24and may rest upon the floor or other support surface for the marble gametable.

It is to be understood that these details of construction are for thepurpose of illustration only and that the invention does not precludeother support means for the playing surface.

FIG. shows in cross section the elements for returning thedifferent-sized playing pieces, such as marbles, to the player afterthey have entered the pockets from the playing surface. Normally one ormore large shooters are used with a plurality of smaller target marbles.The separator 35 has a sloping floor 65 which extends from collector 31toward rim I8. Midway between the collector and the rim the separatorhas'a central slot 67 which is smaller in width than the shooter marbles68 shown in FIG. 5 but wider than the target marbles 69 shown in thatFIGURE The larger shooter marbles therefore span the slot and continuealong the slot into an upper discharge tube 71 which extends through anaperture 72 of rim 18. The inner end of discharge chute 71 is slotted at74 on either side of its end to engage cut-outs 75 in the collectorwall. A second discharge tube 77 for the target marbles is similarlyengaged with the lower floor 79 of the separator and passes through anaperture 81 in the rim 18.

Each discharge chute has an upwardly opening transverse slot 84coinciding with the extent of the rim 18 about apertures 72 and 81respectively. An extension spring 86 biases chute 71 upwardly such thatthe rim portion 18A extending into slot 84 precludes the passage ofshooter marbles 68 past the rim. Similarly, an extension spring 87biases discharge chute 77' upwardly such that rim portion 18B extendsinto slot 84 to preclude passage of the target marble 69 from the dis-.

charge chute until desired.

A player wishing to retrieve either shooter or target, marbles need onlydepress the outer ends of either discharge chute against the bias oftheir respective extension springs to move the chutes downwardly intheir apertures 72 and 81, respectively, and thus displace the chutewith respect to the rim portion such that the marbles roll easily fromthe discharge chutes into the hands of the user.

If desired, a coin-operated lever mechanism 91 of conventional designmay be combined with the other elements of the illustrative embodimentto collect a fee before marbles are returned to the user for replay. Ascan be seen with respectto chute 77, a transverse pin 93 may extendthrough a transverse aperture 94 to I block passage of marbles alongchute 77. Inward thrust of the coin-containing operating handle 95 ofthe coin. mechanism 91 results in withdrawal of transverse pin 93 fromthe chuteinterior such that marbles may roll to the discharge point.Such coin-operated mechanisms are in common usage and diversarrangements may be employed for linking such mechanisms to thetransverse pins and the assembly is therefore not further described.Similarly, a transverse blocking pin maybe used in conjunction withchute 71 and the two pins linked so that a single coin makes bothdischarge? chutes operable to supply the user with playing marbles.

The illustrative embodiment does not exhaust the scope of the invention.Alternatives in addition to those suggested herein will occur to thoseskilled in this particular art. It is therefore desired that the scopeof the invention be measured by the appended claims rather than thepurely illustrative embodiment shown and described herein.

I claim:

1. A marble game table comprising, in combination: a base, a playingsurface on thebase, a peripheral rim about the playing surface, aplurality of spaced billiard cushions adjacent to the playing surfaceabout the rim, a plurality of playing surface apertures adjacent therim, a respective opening leading from the playing surface into eachrespective aperture, the circumferential extent of all billiard cushionsequalling the circumferential extent of all playing surface openings, amarble collector, a trough from each aperture to a collector, a marblesize separator extending from the collector, a

comprising level adjusting means supporting the play- I ing surfaceabove the base.

4. A marble game in accordance with claim 1 further comprising a rimannulus below the playing surface, said annulus supporting the dischargeends of said marble return chutes.

5. A marble game in accordance with claim 4 1 wherein the means forreleasably retaining marbles in I each return chute comprises a rimannulus wall portion receiving each chute, an annulus wall tab extendinginto each chute so as to block a marble in said chute, spring meansretaining said chute and tab in blocking position, said annulus wallportion defining a chute aperture greater in the line of spring loadingthan the like outer dimension of the chute such that the chute and walltab may be separated when the spring means force is overcome.

1. A marble game table comprising, in combination: a base, a playingsurface on the base, a peripheral rim about the playing surface, aplurality of spaced billiard cushions adjacent to the playing surfaceabout the rim, a plurality of playing surface apertures adjacent therim, a respective opening leading from the playing surface into eachrespective aperture, the circumferential extent of all billiard cushionsequalling the circumferential extent of all playing surface openings, amarble collector, a trough from each aperture to a collector, a marblesize separator extending from the collector, a pair of return chutesconnecting to the separator remote from the collector, and manipulatablemeans for releasably retaining marbles in each return chute.
 2. A marblegame in accordance with claim 1 wherein the billiard cushions and theapertures alternate along the playing surface periphery.
 3. A marblegame in accordance with claim 1 further comprising level adjusting meanssupporting the playing surface above the base.
 4. A marble game inaccordance with claim 1 further comprising a rim annulus below theplaying surface, said annulus supporting the discharge ends of saidmarble return chutes.
 5. A marble game in accordance with claim 4wherein the means for releasably retaining marbles in each return chutecomprises a rim annulus wall portion receiving each chute, an annuluswall tab extending into each chute so as to block a marble in saidchute, spring means retaining said chute and tab in blocking position,said annulus wall portion defining a chute aperture greater in the lineof spring loading than the like outer dimension of the chute such thatthe chute and wall tab may be separated when the spring means force isovercome.